Battles for the Heart

by Kelly Knowlden

“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings.”

The book of Proverbs is a practical book of wisdom. It gives the story of how the world works. Many of the sayings are not addressing the issues of “why” one should do what is being extolled, but rather what are the outcomes of the practice. The proverb above (Prov. 22:29) is one of those. It is simply saying that a man who becomes skilled in what he does will be valued.

So how does that work? How does a man become skilled in his work? He learns the hard battle of how to overcome his desires to “kick back” when he thinks that he has done his task. He learns that when the dishes are washed, he will also clean out the sink trap. He understands that when he is done practicing his assigned piano lesson, he will practice some scales or finger exercises that are not assigned. He learns his own propensities toward laziness or “getting by” and decides to not give in to them. He begins to experience the accolades of praise when he does well from those who care for him. Those in his world identify with the struggle and do not point fingers as though they are foreign to the experience of laziness. The “boss” in his life will also bring appropriate censure (it is always inconvenient and usually carries a degree of pain - like delaying his supper if work is not done!) that fits the deed. He will learn through regular discussions about the other proverbs that tell how the world works. (“All work brings a profit, but mere talk leads to poverty,” [14:23] or, “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.” [18:9]) He will learn that his handwriting matters. He will not come up with excuses that “get him off the hook.” He will own his errors. He will do all parts of the directions, not skip steps or come up with short-cuts that “get the right answer” but do not show the work.

All of these are battles that parents must fight and help their children learn to fight as well. Regular investment into the book of Proverbs will help accomplish the practical wisdom and will make our children be people of influence.